Buying Water in Containers
	Disinfecting Your Water
	How to Take a Water Sample
	How Septic Systems Work

Surveys have shown that as many as half of the private individual water supplies in Pennsylvania do not meet acceptable drinking water standards. Public water systems also have problems. During the 1980s, about 300,000 customers of public water supplies were required to boil their drinking water because of contamination.

How do you know if your water is fit to drink? If it comes from a municipal water system, state and federal standards are in place to regulate its safety. But 2.5 million Pennsylvanians get their water from private, individual supplies, which are unregulated by government agencies. Most of these private water supplies are deep wells fed by groundwater. In either case, there are no guarantees that the water you drink always is safe.

There are about a million individual water supplies in the state, and about 20,000 new wells are drilled in Pennsylvania each year. Every well, if not sited or constructed properly, provides a potential pathway for contaminants to enter groundwater. To be sure wells and other water sources are kept free of contamination, individuals and communities need to know how water moves in the environment and how land use and human activities affect water quality and quantity.

How to Test Water:
If you don't know whom to contact to have your water tested, contact your local health department or check the yellow pages of your telephone book. Make sure the testing lab has been certified by the Pennsylvania Department of Health. To take the sample, follow the instructions that came with the sample container. The test will probably cost less than 20 dollars if you take the sample and return it to the lab. Costs will go up if you request a more complete analysis. What you test the water for depends on what problem you suspect. If your family or guests have become ill, test for coliform bacteria, nitrate and sulfate. If the water looks foamy, check for detergents. And if the water supply is being used for an infant under 6 months, test for nitrate. A positive test result may not mean there's a health risk. A local health department official can help you evaluate the test results and decide what...if anything...you need to do.

Links
Wetlands: http://www.wetlands.cas.psu.edu/research.htm

Soil and Water Resources: http://server.age.psu.edu/dept/extension/Factsheets/f/index.html

Forest Stewardship: http://www.cas.psu.edu/

IPM Program: http://www.cas.psu.edu/

Agribility: http://www.cas.psu.edu/

Soil Testing: http://www.agronomy.psu.edu/

Send comments to Clarion County Extension Office(ClarionExt@psu.edu) or 814-223-9028